The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to methods and systems for treating keratinous fibers, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to tablet formulations for treating keratinous fibers such as human hair, to a dispensing device configured for dispensing tablet formulations, to an optical reader for obtaining optical information from keratinous fibers, to a device and method for predicting the results of a treatment operation of keratinous fibers and for selecting a suitable composition for treating keratinous fibers according to the prediction, and to systems for custom treatment of hair and other keratinous fibers which utilize any of the tablet formulations, dispensing device, optical reader and predicting device and method, either alone or in any combination.
Many people wish to alter their appearance by using hair colorants. For this purpose, individuals can either turn to professional salons or buy ready-to-use preparations that can be self-applied by the user. In both cases, the customer identifies his/her desired hair color from a catalog, the appropriate colors or preparations are selected from a finite set of available shades and the pertinent treatments are applied.
Hair colorants are prepared in numerous colors. Usually, a dye color is indicated on the box containing the colorant, either by a color number, a printed example of a color or by means of a sample lock of colored hair.
However, the chemicals of the colorant interact with the chemicals of the uncolored hair and optionally with dye already present in the hair. Thus, even where the same colorant is used, the color of the hair after coloring differs considerably depending on the natural color, or natural color plus old dye mixture of the hair before coloring. For example, in a case where the hair before coloring has a non homogenous mixture of white hair and colored hair, current methods fail to accurately predict the hair color after coloring. Also, in a case where naturally pigmented hair is already colored with artificial colors, the resulting color depends on the combination of original and artificial pigments already present in the hair.
Consequently, it is difficult to predict the color that will result from coloring any person's hair solely from the printing on a box or a sample lock of hair, and a problem often arises that the actual color of the hair after coloring is different from the anticipated color.
In fact, the issue is further complicated by the nature of the coloring process, which chemically changes substances in the hair, including natural hair factors and the artificial colors already present.
Several methods and systems have been developed to predict the final hair color in order to minimize errors and increase customer satisfaction with the use of hair color products. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,929 describes a method and system for analyzing hair and predicting achievable dyed hair colors. This patent describes methods for identifying an achievable hair color based upon at least one starting hair value of a recipient, for identifying a hair coloring agent based upon at least one starting hair value of a recipient, and for outputting an image for a hair color analyzing system. U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,929 further describes a method for providing a hair-coloring product to a consumer, which is effected by identifying achievable hair colors for the consumer, depicting the achievable colors to the consumer, allowing the consumer to select a desired hair color, and recommending to the consumer a hair-coloring agent to achieve the desired hair color.
Some systems for achieving the above are based on color coordinates. However color coordinates do not sufficiently account for the natural materials in the hair. Improved systems, which utilize a spectrum of the hair and make color calculations based on comparing the hair spectrum with the spectrum of the dye or dye mixture have therefore been developed.
However, even with spectral measurements there is not enough information to characterize the hair and make effective predictions, since natural hair pigments tend to be very absorptive of visible light and are thus hard to distinguish.
Further, the above systems merely manipulate measured colors. As mentioned, hair coloring is a chemical process involving highly active chemicals which have dynamic effects on the hair and on the substances. Thus end results of the dyeing process depend not only on the colors used, but on the way in which these chemical processes are carried out. These processes may have a strong dependence upon initial concentration values of natural and artificial pigments as well as the physical characteristics of the hair, such as its diameter, its permeability and the condition of the cuticles over its surface. These parameters impact both the pace at which chemical reactions take place and the amount of specular reflection that the hair acquires after coloration, the specular reflection providing a level of shine. Different types of hair colorants exist in the market. A commonly used hair colorant is a permanent dye that achieves an essentially permanent dye effect through oxidative coupling reaction of the dye in the interior of the hair (the hair cortex). A less permanent change in appearance can be obtained from “temporary” hair coloring of the hair surface, and “semi-permanent” and “demi-permanent” coloring providing intermediate colorant penetrations and coloring durations. Permanent hair coloring is usually achieved by oxidative hair coloring processes. Oxidative hair coloring operates by penetration of a dye precursor (also known as a primary intermediate or developer), and in many cases also a dye coupler (also known as a secondary intermediate), into hair swollen by an alkalizing agent such as ammonia. The dye precursor is generally colorless and of relatively small size (usually of molecular weight of 250 or less); the same is generally true of the coupler. Upon oxidation, either by addition of an oxidizing agent or, in some instances, by atmospheric oxygen, the dye precursors and couplers react with each other, and in some instances the precursors react with themselves, to produce larger, colored molecules which, due to their increased size, remain trapped inside the hair shaft. Direct dyes, such as azo and HC nitro dyes, which on their own are usually used for temporary coloring, are also used in some permanent hair coloring, often in addition to dye precursors and/or couplers.
In addition to facilitating oxidative coloring processes, oxidizing agents, such as hydrogen peroxide, may also bleach or lighten the hair by destruction of natural melanin pigments within the hair shaft.
Generally, permanent hair colorants are commercially available in wet form. Such coloring preparations usually comprise a ‘tint’ element, comprising pre-mixed color imparting agents (dye precursors, dye couplers and/or direct dyes) in an alkaline medium, and a ‘developer’ element, comprising an oxidizing agent. Both elements are supplied in liquid to creamy or paste form, and the two elements are combined immediately prior to application.
For home-use and salon-use, the tint element is generally packaged in a single application container, such as a sealed tube, which reduces exposure of the dyes to oxygen and light and/or the evaporation of pivotal agents such as ammonia. The developer element is less sensitive to degradation and can be supplied in separate tubes or bottles or in large multiple dose containers.
In addition to the stability issues inherent to the oxidative coloring process by currently used wet formulations of hair colorants, these single application-tints also suffer from limited flexibility or reproducibility, and hence from limited options and limited accuracy in cases where customized hair coloring is desired or required. Consumers seeking to use hair colorants desire a large number of color options, reflecting at least the wide range of natural hair colors.
Tint comprising the color imparting agents can be alternatively supplied in powder form, which is mixed before use in an appropriate carrier comprising the necessary additional components. These tint forms exhibit improved stability in comparison with a liquid tint element, due to lower sensitivity to atmospheric oxygen. Nevertheless, such powdery coloring compositions must be protected from exposure to degradation factors to prevent premature deterioration.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,458,992 describes coated dye-containing pellets. International Patent Application PCT/US2009/046273 (published as WO 2009/152033) discloses a color consultation system for a hair salon where hair colors in powder, granule or particle form are mixed according to the calculations of a processor in order to prepare a hair color treatment for a desired hair color
U.S. Pat. No. 6,790,240 describes a shaped body containing a dye precursor, an oxidizing agent and an alkalinizing agent, for preparing coloring compositions by placing the shaped body in a composition containing water. Cellulose-based disintegrants such as microcrystalline cellulose are described for inclusion in the shaped body.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,204,856 describes a shaped body containing a disintegration auxiliary and a thickener, for forming preparations such as hair coloring preparations. Cellulose-based disintegration auxiliaries such as microcrystalline cellulose are described.
U.S. Patent Application having Publication No. 2005/0039271 describes a shaped body, consisting of a dissolution accelerator and an oxidation dye second intermediate in a carrier, for coloring keratinous fibers. The shaped body is free of primary intermediate oxidation dye precursors. The dissolution accelerator may be a gas-evolving component, an enclosed gas, a disintegration aid, or a mixture thereof. Cellulose-based disintegration aids such as microcrystalline cellulose are described.
U.S. Patent Application having Publication No. 2003/0028978 describes a shaped body containing at least one indole derivative and/or indoline derivative, for preparing coloring compositions by placing the shaped body in a composition containing water.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,660,342 describes a mixing device for mixing a liquid with a dry material, particularly a bleaching agent. Tablets of the dry material are smashed, and the broken pieces are then mixed with a liquid.
WO 2010/100231 describes a device for dispensing a coloring composition for keratin fibers, wherein at least 20% of the coloring composition is an anhydrous oil-containing composition. The device comprises three reservoirs, for dispensing a dye composition, an oxidizing composition, and the oil-containing composition, the compositions being dispensed together into a packaging.
EP Patent No. 2081668 describes an apparatus for producing required quantities of cosmetic preparations. Basic preparations are transported, with the aid of electric pumps, from containers in the apparatus to a mixing chamber, and the preparation is dispensed following blending of the components thereof.
Additional background art includes WO 2004/082650; WO 2004/058202; WO 2003/074015; WO 2001/45647; U.S. Patent Application having Publication No. 2002/0194684; FR Patent No. 2901131; U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,837; EP Patent No. 0590538; WO 2009/121643; WO 2008/046518; and EP Patent No. 1817976.